This isn't just rare...this is the first and only of its kind! A powerlifting profile and exclusive interview with Mitch Edelstein, my training partner, coach and boyfriend, has now been added to PetitePowerlifter.com. After this in-depth conversation, I learned a ton more about him, his long list of powerlifting meets, accomplishments and his thoughts on everything from drugs, to training, to nutrition, and our sport overall. A multi-time ADFPA and USAPL Nationals competitor, he has been in the iron game for over 25 years and has competed in - and won - more state championships than any other powerlifter in Minnesota. Please check his story out here!

My Dad, Robert Esperancilla, passes on... and Women's Nationals passes me by (2/08)

The new year began on very rough footing, unfortunately. My dad, Robert Esperancilla, passed away after a long couple of years battling illnesses and side effects from medications he was taking due to cancer. The funeral took place in Palm Coast, FL on Jan. 19th. It has been a difficult time, partly because nobody very close to me had died before. However, the funeral brought my family together in a reunion that likely would not have taken place otherwise. Amidst the sadness, amazingly, my mom, brother, sister and I were together again, along with their spouses and children - and my son, Glen, and boyfriend Mitch.

This was one of numerous changes that have had an effect on my powerlifting training, but I still trained -- and trained as hard as I could, when I could. As I reached the end of a training cycle for Women's Nationals 2008, I reached 270-165-315 (squat, bench press, and deadlift) and was aiming to near-peak the following week to cap off my training...when I was told that everyone would be needed at the office (due to expected big announcements concerning Northwest Airlines and the industry) and I unfortunately could not take the time off to defend my national title in Texas.

It turned out that the major airline news was delayed...really delayed. And there were other bigger surprises to boot. Consistent with traditional corporate policy, I decline to comment at this time (mostly because, as Barry Darsow said a few years ago, "This IS suppossed to be a family-friendly website, is it not?")

I'm back to training hard, and training consistently.

Career update and official results, report and photos from 2007 IPF World Championships (12/07)

My new responsibilities in the awesome field of corporate communications now include being the editor for Newswire - the daily online news for Northwest Airlines employees worldwide - and the home pages of the airline's intranet. I'm writing, editing, and managing this internal communications vehicle, as well as distributing it throughout the company - from uploading it, to recording it for Newsline, the audio version accessible by phone. I have also been working with the NWA Media Relations department. Awesome work experiences in writing/journalism and web technology!

Here are the official results from the IPF World Championships held Oct. 15-21 in Soelden, Austria. You can read a report by Jessica O'Donnell, with a link to a second report by Sheman Ledford, in the USAPL Online Newsletter, Powerlines. My images from the meet can be viewed on Flickr.com here.

Star Tribune Coverage and WABDL Midwest Regionals 2007 Photos (7/07)

The Minneapolis Star Tribune had featured me in an awesome story in its Sports Section on June 20th, which included a full-color teaser in the "Have You Heard?" box on the front page! Great thanks to writer Michael Rand and photographer Jennifer Simonson for their huge support and help, as I work to raise sponsorship for World's and awareness of powerlifting!

And a new page with a few of my 2007 WABDL Midwest Regionals photos from the event held on May 26th at the Marriott, West Minneapolis has just been added.

Everything new in the new year (4/07)